Trapped toddler parents: puddlesuits splashing towards spring

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All guardians of toddlers welcome, we offer ideas, activities, and a shoulder to lean on when it all gets too much. We’ve conquered winter, next stop spring!

Continuing from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4105179-trapped-toddler-parents-of-the-fabled-winter-2020-2021-puddle-suits-at-the-ready-hello-christmas?pg=1

@drumst1ck when I introduced DS to a duvet I just put in the bottom of his bed and then he started to use it after a while. I put him in a growbag that had a zip initially as it didn't have poppered shoulders which he undid.

DS is at Preschool today so I'll be doing my usual cleaning up and then might set up a simple farm tuff tray for DD to play with. Obviously I'll be eating snacks and watching my TV (Chicago fire) while she naps

@drumst1ck DS took to his duvet really well. Let him choose the bedding (Asda) and made a song and dance about being a big boy.

DD is well into the 4m sleep regression, by 3am Id had 40 mins sleep and handed her of to DP. She’s kicking off blankets so they’re not safe anymore so she’s in a sleeping bag, but she prefers being swaddled, coupled with waking every hour and dummy refusal, I am a human dummy. A knackered one! Off for a walk along the canal today. I am hopeful of an ice cream van.

Hi everyone,

@MonkeyPuddle, that night sounds really tough, poor you. Hope you get through the day and get the ice cream too.

@drumst1ck, DS1 was about 2 when he started using a duvet and little pillow, I just try to tuck him in well. They seem really thin but as they say they heat up at night more than us apparently. He's got a nice thick winter one at the moment and he doesn't kick it off too much.

@meow1989, that sounds like a good day planned!! Hope you like the house you see. Ds1 had chicken pox when he was about 19 months. It was strange as he only had a few spots but the dr was convinced it was chicken pox.

Luckily DS2 seems brighter today and is eating and drinking so that's good. Quiet day here, DS1 has played with fuzzy felt for a bit and out in the garden which he loves and we've done some counting out of Cbeebies magazine and stickers.
Ds2 has played with the cleaning set and pretend play vet kit and tool kit. We've watched tele too, current favourite programme of the week is Woolly and Tig, it's on a loop on YouTube.

Hope everyone has a good day.

DS has come back from school as a tired mess. As we walked out he was talking about having a drink and nap on the sofa and how he was too tired. He's randomly cried because he missed his friends he was playing with, hes interfering with his sister and generally all over the place. I'm taking it as he's had a good day. Just over two hours until I can start bedtime, I've got both to do tonight.

Parenting scenario - DS hurts himself so is crying you're giving him a cuddle. DD comes over to said cuddle then starts crying also. They are now both screaming at you, you try to cuddle both but DS gets hysterical as he doesn't want to share his cuddle. DD is getting more hysterical while trying to climb on. What do you do to stop them both shrieking like the world's ending.

@Motherofmonsters, poor you, I have this scenario often, both cling onto me crying. I tend to just put the tele on for distraction or find something else for distraction that might be interesting for one of them and just wait for it all to stop.

Evening all.

I hope everyone is ok. Sorry to hear that lots of the smalls are feeling under the weather. Fingers crossed they are soon on the mend.

We've had a few days of long walks and DS hasn't been too bad. Random question, did anyone ever feel like their child would never walk?

@same4walls me! I'm moaning somewhere a thread or few back about DD taking forever. She took a couple steps at 16months and now is walking but very wobbly outside still

[quote Motherofmonsters]@same4walls me! I'm moaning somewhere a thread or few back about DD taking forever. She took a couple steps at 16months and now is walking but very wobbly outside still [/quote]
Oh thank goodness it's not just me. I honestly feel bad moaning but he's been confidently cruising since September!!! We saw 3 younger children all confidently toddling along today at the park and each of their parents gave a synthetic smile and made a comment about how he'll get there in his own time, but it just made me feel a little sad.

@Motherofmonsters I find distraction via the absurd works well in scenarios like that, I sometimes turn to jelly or into a monkey. Whilst mentally counting down to when I can open a bottle of wine 😂

@Same4Walls DS didn’t start walking til he was 18m, he was and still is massive, huge head, think it slowed him down.

Tonight I’ve started the New Bedtime Routine. Stories in DS’s top bunk together, singing our special song, then I feed DD to bed in our room and into the cot. DS sobbed when his sister had to leave, he wanted her to stay in bed with him, cute, but no.

Currently feeding DD in the dark, plan on laying her on my bed, then transferring when she’s sparko. I will probably go to sleep myself as well.

Thanks @chocolatetrifle and monkeypuddle, I will give silly distraction ago. It was very long and loud. DS keeps asking for DD to sleep in his bed, I need to work on her sleeping in her own bed first!

MonkeyPuddle your new bedtime routine sounds lovely, how sweet your DS wanted his little sis to stay in his bed

DS didn’t start walking til he was 18m, he was and still is massive, huge head, think it slowed him down

I would actually be less frustrated at his lack of walking if he was huge but DS is absolutely tiny. He honestly appears to have made absolutely no discernable progress since September in his ability to walk. He's no more or less confident and looking no more likely to let go and take the plunge.

DS1 took ages to learn to walk too...he had bambi legs and skinny ankles...he learnt to walk one day he was wearing proper shoes...maybe coincidentally or maybe he felt more "supported" (lots of hypermobility in the family).

Good day here (made extra effort as I am working tomorrow and I don't usually, had to squish everything in!) managed to update my CV while DS2 napped and took both DC to the playground via the crepe van afterschool, Plus DS1 had tea at grandmas.

DS2 is sleeping and DS1 and I are watching Despicable me in our PJs.

I can't wait till DS2 turns 18m and its officially safe for the DC to sleep together, maybe I'll get my bed back to myself finally. DS1 also really wants his brother to sleep with him. I have a lovely Montessori style floor bed planned for them both when we move house.

Hope all the non-sleepers sleep ok tonight. I have purchased fancy homeopathic teething gel for DS2 - will report back on its effectiveness! (otherwise he may have to get weaned a bit...DS1 was never so bitey. Ouch.)

Hope everyone's having a good morning. We were up early and had baked biscuits by 8am as DS was very insistent that we did it.
My mum lives down the road so we will drop some off as we ended up making 30 and only me and DS can eat them.

DD has just gone down for a nap so it's cup of tea time

Good morning everyone, 5.07 both boys got up today, ugh. Now, I love ducks and geese but the last few mornings they are flying over the house squawking at 4.45, not enjoying that after being up in the night also.

@Motherofmonsters, that's great about the baking, I know what you mean about DS getting something in his head, my DS1 is the same and I've had to bake at 7am before because he has pestered to do it.

Had a muddy buggy board walk so far today. Ds2's HFM has not got worse thankfully.

Hope everyone has a good day.

@prettygirlincrimsonrose That's so reassuring to hear how your DS coped! I've been so worried about DS2 when I go to have DS3.

BTW... Found out we are having another boy :o that means DH and I are stressing over names because we have none left.

DS2 went back to nursery today and had a good day. Was so weird having no children in the house this morning!

@bertiebotts congratulations! What sort of names do you like? We only found 1 boy's name we both liked so luckily we had a DD

@BertieBotts, congratulations, that's lovely you have found of you are having another boy. I'm sure a name will just come to you.

Sun is out here, such a nice day, it does make a difference when its not raining.

I asked DS1 what he wanted to do this afternoon and he thought and said he wants to go into the garage and knock a wall down with a big hammer! Guess that is the pretend play tool kit for you! Better go and get my overalls on!

Yes, the problem is not so much the names we like as the ones we don't like :o I think the current front runner is Alexander.

Afternoon all. Early start here as well, 6:30. Yay. Especially after DD woke every 45-60mins over night. She went back down with relative ease, but fuck me, I am tired! DP and I have had a good chat about tackling bedtimes and sleep, where the routine can flex and give a little so I feel like we’re coming at it as a united force which massively helps with how I feel about it all.
Give DP his dues he puts the work in with the kids, he’s currently having a nap, I’m going to prep tea and then wake him so I can nap 😂 god, I’m only 36 and needing a nap already, I don’t hold out much hope for us as we get older!

We’ve had all the train tracks out this morning and been to the park, took lunch to draw it out, luckily it was quite busy so DS found a friend and did a million loops of the climbing frame. Make have had a sneaky flake 99 as well. Had a good 3 hours of running about in the fresh air.

DS is knackered so he’s currently on the sofa watching paw patrol, DSD is coming round after school for tea so I’ll get the stickers and felt tips out and place them strategically on the dining table.

@Camomila I am jealous of the crepe van, sounds delicious! It’s lovely that they want to sleep together, I’ve been gently putting the idea into Ds’s head for a while. The floor beds are beautiful but the room the kids will be sharing isn’t big enough so we’ve got low level bunk beds from IKEA and I really like them.

@Chocolatetrifle I feel the bird noise pain as well, our house backs onto woods and while it’s lovely to watch the birds they do start very early in the morning! DS likes to smash ice with a hammer, I freeze water in balloons and tupperwares and shove him outside with it.

Congratulations @BertieBotts! Is that three boys then?

@BertieBotts congratulations on baby boy 3! Alexander is a great name. Am I right in thinking you're in Germany? We also had "works anywhere in Europe" to think about.
Caspar/Jasper or Leo were some of our thoughts for DS2. I love Theodore but none of my half of the family can pronounce the English "th" (including me if I don't think about it)

@MonkeyPuddle my plan is to buy an ikea kura bed, DS1 will have the top bunk but will probably end up with DS2 at the bottom (although what if DS2 climbs to the top ) I've hopefully got 6 more months of cot time before I need to think about it.

Have fun smashing things @chocolatetrifle. I can't wait till we are allowed to go to the tip again, I have so much decluttering I want to do.

Yes we are :) DS2 is already a Leo :o It will be 3 boys yes.

And yum, a crepe van does indeed sound awesome. I wonder if there is one around here... because they couldn't do any Christmas markets/seasonal fairs the city government have allowed different food stands like that to open pretty much permanently in various areas, so I expect there is a crepe one somewhere!

BertieBotts that's great news congratulations, boys are the best.

Chocolatetrifle what an absolutely fabulous idea, your son sounds very imaginative. Having said that I would totally pay good money sometimes to smash up a wall. I bet someone could make a fortune setting up something similar.

MonkeyPuddle sorry you had a long night, it's way worse when they wake repeatedly as you then spend the minutes counting down waiting for the inevitable to happen when they wake up again. Hopefully tonight is much better with longer gaps between wakings.

We've had a lovely day in the sunshine. We've started sorting out the garden and done some planting. DS got absolutely filthy so he's had a nice bubble bath and played with crazy soap. He hasn't napped at all today and I think the fresh air and me spending hours walking him round the garden hanging onto just 1 finger has taken it's toll as he's already completely out. I will probably regret the early bedtime when he wakes in the middle of the night, but for now I'm going to enjoy my evening.

Evening all and congrats @BertieBotts! Alexander is a lovely name!

Had our first nap refusal today which did not come on a good day...at nearly 38 weeks pregnant that nap was keeping me sane! She crashed out at quarter past 6 after a few horrendous hours of gremlin mode. Think I'll be crashing out pretty soon!

Anyone got any good recommendations for bath foam/bubbles that are safe for their eyes? We're just using Johnson's stuff at the moment but it doesn't bubble very well and DD has taken to shouting MORE whenever they disappear.

And thanks for all the reassurance about the duvet as well, we have one ordered and on its way. My baby is becoming a big girl!

And who else can't wait for next week!! I've planned so many garden visits already, I can't wait for some social contact for me and DD!